Property Listing Pages – A Few Simple Tips

Real estate agencies are adapting their marketing techniques to follow consumers online. Clients will still use local papers to find open houses and other information, but most will start their house hunt at sites like Trulia and Redfin.

Property listings are the centerpiece of a successful real estate website. But what does a good property listings website look like? In this post, we’ll show you how to highlight and index properties so that clients will be motivated to buy.

Thumbnail photos are a major stumbling block for amateur web designers – they’re too small to be clearly seen, they’re poor-quality or low-resolution, they’re shoved off to the side instead of prominently displayed. For best results, integrate your listings search tab – including at least four quality thumbnails – into every page on the website. Clients will be more likely to click through if they see listings on your landing page and home page.

Captivating Headlines

Photos will capture attention, but they’re not the whole story. It’s also important to use headlines to refine interest. How can you do that? The key is choosing an element that makes the property special and focus on that. Consider the area, too. A parking space doesn’t mean much in Wyoming, but it’s a major asset in a city like San Francisco. Keep the headline concise, to motivate clients to click on the listing.

Stay Specific

Once your client has clicked through, you want to give them as much information as possible. “Amenity” is a pretty general term, right? Are we talking about a mahogany-paneled library or a solar-heated pool? Instead of resorting to real-estate buzzwords, see how much detail you can add into every line of your copy.

Photo Credit: Frederickrealestateonline.com

Get Practical

Homebuyers might fall in love with a house’s personality or special design appeal, but their online search will be driven by concrete parameters and pragmatic concerns. If you want to grab attention during a quick online search, focus on practical benefits. For example, does the property have energy-efficient windows, built-in appliances, a multi-car garage, a security system, detached storage? Leads will use this preliminary search to develop a sense of what their money can buy, and anything you can do to emphasize added value will deepen their interest.

Blog Updates

Remember, we talked about how important it is to integrate property listings into every page of your website, and that includes your blog. If you’re looking for some topics, why not write about some of your property listings? Collect a set of five listings on a particular theme – price range, architectural style, photo-friendly features like pools or landscaped yards. Connect each entry in the list to a listing using a simple “call-to-action” like, “Interested in finding out more about this listing?” and a link.

It’s important to offer as versatile and flexible a set of search options as possible. Size, location and price range are just the beginning. A map-search function will help clients get a sense of a new area, especially if they’re searching remotely. Search tabs for extra features like a pool or extra garage will be even more helpful. You can add more details with plugins – everything from insight into local schools to neighborhood features like public transportation access.

Virtual Tours

Quality photos will take you a long way, but a video tour is even more valuable. Done right, a video tour can introduce prospective clients to your agency. Online searching usually involves clicking through gallery after gallery of photos. Clients will see headshots and contact info, but most of the listings will be fairly impersonal. A video tour gives you a chance to reach out to them as a realtor, keeping their attention on you for several minutes. By the time they contact you, they’ll feel like they’re working with you already.

Are you struggling to write engaging copy? Put your clients into a narrative. Don’t just tell them there’s a spacious backyard, tell them about the barbecues they can host. Don’t just say the kitchen comes with brand-new built-in appliances – reach out to prospective clients who love to cook and throw dinner parties. If you can help them feel at home, they’ll be more likely to feel a sense of ownership over a property before they reach out to you to schedule a tour.

As a real estate agent, you already have plenty of experience in staging and marketing a property to best advantage. These same strategies can help you develop a listings page that will sustain client interest from first glance through final sale!

Are you interested in learning more about listings pages and other elements of digital marketing for real estate agents? At Square 1 Group, we make it our business to create multilayered technology and marketing solutions for our clients, tailoring our approach to your resources and needs. Contact us for a consultation today!